ABSTRACT
Inadequate adherence to treatment regimens is considered a major problem in the management of chronic disease. It is estimated that half of these patients do not adhere to their medical regimens (Epstein & Cluss, 1982). Watkins and his colleagues published some of the first empirical documentation of the extent of this problem in adults with diabetes (Watkins, Roberts, Williams, Martin, & Coyle, 1967; Watkins, Williams, Martin, Hogan, & Anderson, 1967). In their sample, over half of the patients were making insulin dosage errors, two thirds were incorrectly testing their urine for glucose, and only 25010 were judged to have acceptable dietary habits. More recent studies have documented similar insulin and urine glucose testing errors in children with diabetes (Epstein, Coburn, Becker, Drash, & Siminerio, 1980; Johnson et aI., 1982).
